Po
|gender= Male |image= |films= Kung Fu Panda Kung Fu Panda 2 |shorts= Secrets of the Furious Five Kung Fu Panda Holiday |television= (briefly in "Are You Karate Kidding Me?") (guest appearance) Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness |games= Kung Fu Panda: The Game Kung Fu Panda: Legendary Warriors Kung Fu Panda 2: The Game |books= Kung Fu Panda: Art of Balance |voice= (films & shorts)IMDB.com - Jack Black Unknown (young) Mick Wingert (video games & TV series)IMDB.com - Mick Wingert |alias= Master Po, Panda, Dragon Warrior, Kung Fu Panda (in franchise), Egg Master Po (briefly in the first video game), Po the Panda |appearance= Black and white fur with green eyes |combat= Improvised, Panda style |fate= Defeated Tai Lung and became the Dragon Warrior (Kung Fu Panda) Kept teaching the rabbit children about Kung Fu (Secrets of the Furious Five) Honored both duties as Mr. Ping's son and Dragon Warrior (Kung Fu Panda Holiday) |quote= "Skadoosh!" }} Master Po Ping (known simply as Po) is the main protagonist in the ''Kung Fu Panda'' series. He is the adoptive son of Mr. Ping and one of Master Shifu's students. Po is also the prophesied Dragon Warrior. Biography Beginnings ]] It has been proven by both a portrait in The Art of Kung Fu Panda and via dialogue in Kung Fu Panda Holiday that Po has been Mr. Ping's son since he was at least a cub. It is currently not explained how this came to be, since they are both of an entirely different species. Po has a grandfather and great-grandfather (Mr. Ping's relatives) who are shown to have been geese, as well as an uncle named Yang (who is a pig). Despite this, however, both father and son share a deep mutual love and respect. The first film illustrates this in how Po cannot bear to disappoint his father about his differing ambitions; Mr. Ping, however, respects his son's decisions enough to neither protest nor interfere after Po is dubbed the Dragon Warrior. Nevertheless, Po's origins still remain a mystery. This question plays a strong part in Kung Fu Panda 2, where Po finds that he "must look to his past and uncover the secrets of these mysterious origins" in order to be able to "unlock the strength he needs to succeed" in his mission.Kung Fu Panda Official Site - Kung Fu Panda 2: Story In Kung Fu Panda ]] In Kung Fu Panda, Po hoped to become a Kung Fu legend, on par with the Furious Five, whom he idolizes. However, he didn't think he could pursue his dream, as he was an out-of-shape panda who worked at a noodle shop, which his enthusiastic father Mr. Ping expected him to some day run in his place. Even though Po showed little interest in continuing this family tradition, he complied, not wanting to let his father down. At heart, Po was a huge fan of Kung Fu, his room decorated with posters and action figures of the Furious Five, and he would imagine himself as an unbeatable warrior who would fight alongside them. Po knew, in detail, many things about Kung Fu, from techniques (such as the Wuxi Finger Hold), to various weapons and legends, like the Sword of Heroes and the Battle of Weeping River. Although this knowledge showed Po as somewhat of an expert on Kung Fu, it was only in the form of a fan who fantasized he could be part of it, not as someone who had any real experience. It was seemingly by mistake, then, that he was chosen to become the Dragon Warrior. Po was ecstatic when he heard of a tournament being held to determine which of the Furious Five would be chosen as the Dragon Warrior, something he declared would be the "greatest day in Kung Fu history". He abandoned his task of selling noodles in order to see the tournament, but couldn't make it in time, and the gates closed on him, shutting him out. After many failed, desperate attempts to get inside and watch the event, Po was about to give up and go back to work with his father — when the fireworks he had strapped to a chair lit up and shot him into the sky, flying over the arena. Po landed inside the tournament grounds just as Grand Master Oogway was about to choose who would be the Dragon Warrior, and Po fell in front of the Furious Five — with Oogway's claw pointed directly at him. Master Oogway took this as a sign that the universe had brought them all the Dragon Warrior. Everyone else, including Po, was surprised by this. ]] The Valley celebrated, and Po was carried (with difficulty) on a (which he broke through) to the Jade Palace, where he marveled at the many legendary Kung Fu artifacts kept there. However, the Furious Five and Shifu, Po's master, thought his being chosen was a mistake. Shifu objected that a "flabby panda" couldn't possibly be the Dragon Warrior, and tried to intimidate Po upon his arrival, insulting his large body weight and threatening Po with potential use of the Wuxi Finger Hold. Shifu promised Po that he would regret ever being chosen, and afterwards set him up in the challenging Training Hall. Po, awed by being in the presence of the Furious Five (who were all observing him), was nervous but eager to try some Kung Fu moves. But being an unwary beginner, he was hurtled, burnt, punched, and thrown through the various obstacles. The Furious Five later joked about him and his incompetence, which Po happened to overhear, making him feel inferior and sad. That night, after making accidental damages in the student barracks, Po had an awkward conversation with Master Crane (where Po himself revealed that he didn't think he belonged at the Jade Palace). He was then even more disheartened after a rebuke from Master Tigress, who told him that he didn't belong in the Jade Palace, is a disgrace to Kung Fu, and should leave by morning, and then slammed her door in his face. Po retreated to the Peach Tree of Heavenly Wisdom, upset and overeating, stuffing his mouth with peaches picked from the sacred branches. Upon finding him, Master Oogway gave Po some kindly advice, telling Po that he should focus on the moment and the present opportunity he had, instead of giving up and doubting himself. The next morning, Po surprised Master Shifu and the Furious Five by not only staying, but by arriving first at the training courtyard to practice. Once again, Po was put through a Kung Fu thrashing, beat up by the Furious Five and Shifu long into the day, but Po showed no signs of pain or indignity, as he was so amazed by the skill he witnessed, and only welcomed the privilege to spar with the Kung Fu masters. This enthusiasm frustrated Shifu, who, even after literally kicking Po out of the palace, was unsuccessful in making him quit. The Furious Five, with the exception of Tigress, came to warm up to Po more. Masters Mantis and Viper tried helping Po feel better with acupuncture, and Mantis assured him about his own small size as a warrior compared to Po's. Po later made the Furious Five some noodle soup, which he was praised for, and he made them laugh (except Tigress) when he did an imitation of Master Shifu — only moments before Shifu himself appeared. He announced that Tai Lung had broken out of Chorh-Gom Prison, and that it was Po's destiny to defeat him. Startled, Po ran off in a panic, only to be stopped shortly by Shifu, who declared that Po was the Dragon Warrior. Refusing to believe this, Po told Shifu that he'd never believed in him and had been trying to make him quit since his first day, while Shifu reminded Po that he had chosen to stay, despite all the harsh treatment. Po revealed that he had been hurt both inside and outside, but he had stayed because, to him, it was better than living every day just being himself, and wanted so badly to be changed. When Po questioned Shifu on just how he planned to make him the Dragon Warrior, capable of defeating the mighty Tai Lung, the red panda admitted he didn't know, and departed. Again, Po fled to food for comfort, and had nearly ravaged the kitchen in the Jade Palace, breaking cupboards and drawers, when Shifu discovered him the next morning. He stood amazed, seeing that the panda had inadvertently showed a knack for Kung Fu while merely trying to find food in his distressed state. Shifu decided to use this perceived weakness as a teaching tool to motivate Po. playing "keep-away"]] Led through the Wu Dan Mountains to the Pool of Sacred Tears, Shifu told Po the origins of Kung Fu. Po agreed to learn from Shifu, astounded and emotional from finally getting a chance to live his dream. And so began his first serious step in Kung Fu training. Po was put through various exercises, from push-ups to ten-mile hikes, to balancing soup bowls, defending his own meals from attack, and a game of keep away, using chopsticks and a dumpling as a reward. Through determination, and with Shifu's teaching, Po's senses grew sharper, he became more confident, and in time, Po had achieved a tremendous improvement in body and in mind. But the Furious Five, led by Master Tigress (who felt for Po upon overhearing Shifu and Po's conversation on the palace roof), had left to fight Tai Lung on their own. Despite putting up a courageous fight on the Thread of Hope that morning, each of them was overwhelmed by Tai Lung's superior skill. Master Crane managed to carry his comrades back to the Jade Palace, where Po and Master Shifu found the rest of the Five all paralyzed, struck by Tai Lung's nerve attack. Seeing his heroes wounded before him, Po was worried about facing Tai Lung himself, but Master Shifu assured Po that he could beat Tai Lung — with the help of the Dragon Scroll. He retrieved it, giving it to Po and promising him extraordinary powers of sight and sound when he would read it, and feeling "the universe in motion around you". Po opened the scroll, only to find it was nothing but a golden, reflective surface that was completely blank. Confused and disappointed, Po thought this only proved that he really had been picked to be the Dragon Warrior by accident. ]] Shifu told the Furious Five to evacuate the Valley, saying that he would fight Tai Lung himself to buy them all time. They obeyed, Po reluctantly leaving with the others. The Five split up to escort the villagers out, leaving a dispirited Po to seek out his father. Mr. Ping was glad to see him again, tying an apron around Po and talking to him about future plans for a new noodle shop as they fled with the rest of the Valley. Having come so close and failed at becoming the Kung Fu warrior he'd aspired to be, and being pulled back into his former life as if nothing had happened, Po unhappily lingered for a moment, his hopes crushed. Mr. Ping took pity on his son, but guaranteed him that he still had a destiny at the noodle restaurant. Po wasn't encouraged by this, and told his dad that he sometimes couldn't even believe he was his son. Mr. Ping, taken aback, tried to comfort Po by finally telling him the truth: the secret ingredient of the Noodle Shop's secret ingredient soup... was nothing. He explained that he never needed to add anything more to plain, ordinary noodle soup. By simply believing it to be special, it became special on its own. Astounded, Po took out the Dragon Scroll, and found himself looking into his own reflection. Mr. Ping's words made the connection, and at last, Po understood the meaning of the Dragon Scroll, the secret to "limitless power". He made his way back to the Jade Palace, climbing the stairs (which exhausted him), and arrived just in time to distract Tai Lung and save Master Shifu, who almost got killed by Tai Lung during their fight. Facing the snow leopard, Po proclaimed that he was the true Dragon Warrior. Tai Lung laughed, making the remark, "You? Him? He's a panda! You're a panda! What are you going to do, big guy?! Sit on me?!". Po told Tai Lung not to tempt him (though he eventually does so during the fight), and smugly revealed he had the Dragon Scroll and told Tai Lung to "come and get it", to which he got punched in the face by the leopard, who then took the scroll — but then Po bounced back to strike an equal blow in return. The panda and snow leopard fought, and the battle spread down into the Valley, both Po and Tai Lung trying to get the Dragon Scroll as it fell from place to place. Po used his creative cunning to keep the scroll away from Tai Lung, even using noodles and a cart propelled by firework rockets in the battle, as well as the same maneuvers in his game of "keep-away" with Shifu. But despite his ongoing success, Po finally collapsed when Tai Lung met him with a powerful punch, pummeling the panda to the ground. When Tai Lung took the scroll (relishing at finally having his hands on it), he was disappointed when he discovered it was blank. Po, as he was getting up from being pummeled, told him that it's okay since he didn't get it the first time either. Tai Lung was confused, so Po explained to him that "there is no secret ingredient; it's just you." Infuriated, Tai Lung dropped the Dragon Scroll and struck Po with a yell, but his deadly nerve attacks only served to tickle Po and make him laugh. Again, the two fought, Po besting and outsmarting Tai Lung again and again. Eventually, Po caught Tai Lung in the Wuxi Finger Hold when the snow leopard tried to claw him with two of his fingers, having presumably figured out the secret to the mysterious technique on his own, and with the word "Skadoosh" and the inflexing of his pinky, Po delivered the blow, sending a massive, golden shock wave throughout the Valley of Peace and beyond, presumably killing Tai Lung. ]] When the Furious Five and villagers returned, they watched Po emerge from the haze in silence, and became elated, the villagers cheering for his triumph. Mr. Ping raced to his son, overjoyed and proud of his victory as a Kung Fu warrior. Tigress stepped forward and bowed to Po in respect, calling him "Master," and the rest of the Furious Five and the Valley followed suit; in addition, Tigress had smiled at Po for the first time. Po was modestly pleased, but quickly remembered that Master Shifu was hurt back at the Palace. He rushed back and found the injured red panda, and told him he had defeated Tai Lung. Shifu weakly thanked Po for bringing peace both to the Valley, and to him. After a quiet, meditative moment, Po asks him if he wants to get something to eat, and he and Shifu enjoyed a meal of dumplings at the Peach Tree of Heavenly Wisdom, overlooking a new day in the Valley of Peace. In Secrets of the Furious Five class]] In Secrets of the Furious Five, Po is instructed by Master Shifu to teach a class of new Kung Fu students, made up of rambunctious little rabbit children. Shifu tells Po that it may be the toughest challenge he's ever faced, and leaves a dubious Po to teach the class himself. After calming down the excited group, Po tells them stories of how each of the Furious Five learned the secrets of Kung Fu. When Shifu returns to check on Po's progress, he first thinks that Po has taught the rowdy students that Kung Fu is all about fighting; but after hearing the children point out the lessons of having patience, courage, discipline, compassion, and confidence, Shifu finds that Po had taught them well, and allows him to keep teaching the youngsters. In Kung Fu Panda Holiday attacking Po with a wooden spoon]] In Kung Fu Panda Holiday, it is the time of the Winter Festival. In the noodle shop, Po is informed by Master Shifu that he is to host the Winter Feast at the Jade Palace. The Furious Five are surprised when Po tells them this news, and they offer to help him. However, Po thinks he can do it himself, and is excited about the chance to host the formal gathering. But soon enough, he becomes overwhelmed by the many tasks of preparing for the Palace Feast, and is burdened further by not being able to have his father come to the event. After accidentally rejecting and disgracing a rabbit chef named Wo Hop with the "Hun-Shu Wave of Dismissal", Po decides to intentionally dismiss the other chefs trying out for the Feast, and he offers the job to his father, along with the Golden Ladle, in hopes that the two of them can spend the holiday together. However, Mr. Ping refuses, grudgingly telling Po to go to the Feast, as he cannot be away from the restaurant and let his customers down. Afterwards, in the kitchen, Po is challenged by Wo Hop to a fight to the death in order to restore his honor, and the rabbit chef makes several attempts to attack Po with a wooden spoon and end his own life, but the panda prevents him from doing so. Po decides to call on the Furious Five and Wo Hop to help him in his preparations for the Feast, and with their extra efforts, everything comes together just in time. But when Po is finally seated with the other masters at the Jade Palace, the panda finds that he cannot enjoy the ceremony, as much as he admires the Kung Fu heroes present, and he explains to them his own traditions of having fun with his family. He excuses himself (much to Shifu's dismay), and joins his father at the noodle shop. Mr. Ping apologizes to Po for making him feel guilty, and Po helps him cook meals for the customers. The Furious Five and the other masters later show up at the restaurant and take part in the festivities, and Po presents the Golden Ladle to Wo Hop (who had shown up to try and attack Po again), returning his honor to him. Upon seeing the happy celebration in the noodle shop, Shifu comes to appreciate Po's decision, and Po invites him inside, telling him that he's part of his family as well. They joined the others, and Po was able to appease everyone, thanks of his unorthodox, yet sincere actions. Since his defeat of Tai Lung, Po has continued his Kung Fu training and his journey as the Dragon Warrior, while still working at his dad's noodle shop, and is living out his dream as a hero and as the same simple panda he always was. In Kung Fu Panda 2 In Kung Fu Panda 2, Po is now fighting alongside the Furious Five. He has to confront his past when Lord Shen serves as a threat to Kung Fu and tries to conquer all of China. Since the first film, Po has pretty much overcome the physical challenges of kung fu, this time having to face its spiritual challenges when he is afflicted by vague images from his past.Miller-Zarneke, Tracey. The Art of Kung Fu Panda II, p. 47. : In Legends of Awesomeness In the upcoming Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness, Po is the main star and serves as the lead singer of the show's theme song. Personality Po is usually easygoing, and can often be playful and cocky like a big kid. In the first film, he is seen as a huge fan of Kung Fu, but is himself clumsy, portly, and having low self-confidence, only dreaming he could be a great Kung Fu warrior while feeling stuck in his unfulfilling life at his his father‘s noodle shop. But when given the chance, he is all too eager to learn Kung Fu the hard way, enduring physical beatings as well as insults, in hopes of changing who he is and becoming like the Furious Five, who are his idols. But Po comes to learn that "there is no secret ingredient", and finds the inner strength to save the Valley of Peace by using his own skills and ingenuity, and in the end he becomes his own kind of hero. Po usually displays an action-craving attitude along with a natural affinity for humor. He will often try to talk tough, but this boisterous behavior tends to become more comical than threatening, and is perhaps a front for the panda’s insecurities. Though at times Po may act immature and clueless, he is able to take things seriously when it is called for, and can learn things quickly with the right motivation. He has also memorized an impressive amount of knowledge about Kung Fu, even being reliable enough to teach a class of it on his own. Though Po tries to balance both sides of his life with his father at the noodle shop and his role as the Dragon Warrior, this is at times difficult for him. Always having a deep revere for Kung Fu and his fellow Kung Fu masters, Po is nevertheless willing to put family ahead of his responsibilities as Dragon Warrior, even if it means passing on prestigious events and disappointing others who count on him. Po has also broken some rules and traditions (as well as still having a habit of breaking physical things), though this is often unintentional. Po has hardly changed since his days before learning Kung Fu, but his unlikely triumph as the Dragon Warrior has changed those around him. Simple and good-natured, Po doesn't seem to hold grudges, even against those who doubt him or treat him with contempt. He is much like the opposite of Tai Lung, in that he shows light-heartedness and humility instead of arrogance and desire for more power. It is these qualities, as well as his great respect for Kung Fu and his loving heart, that mark Po as the Dragon Warrior, able to defeat Tai Lung when no one else can. Fighting Style Unexpectedly chosen to fulfill an ancient prophecy and study Kung Fu alongside the Furious Five in the original film, Po began training under Master Shifu. But it was soon apparent that the traditional styles of Kung Fu weren't necessarily a good fit for a six-foot-two-inch, 260-pound panda. Shifu discovered that for Po to become the Dragon Warrior, he must embrace Po's inherent panda nature and exploit his physical attributes, including his generous belly and rear end. In the end, Po created his own style that uses his perceived weaknesses as his strengths.Kung Fu Panda Official Site - Po Po uses this improvised style often when he fights. For example, in his fight against Tai Lung in the first film, Po was able to use his bulky physique to block the snow leopard's nerve attacks and send back hard blows. This ultimately, like Shifu explained to him during training, allowed Po to take Tai Lung's strength and use it against him. Clothing/Outfit Po wears a simple pair of tan-colored pants that appear to have been patched up multiple times. He also wears a striped red-and-gold colored belt around his waist. In Kung Fu Panda Holiday, Po's casual winter clothes consist of a red snow hat with yellow-dotted black stripes and a yellow scarf. At the Jade Palace's formal Winter Feast dinner, each guest was assigned a formal outfit with selective colors. As the host and Dragon Warrior, Po wore his same pants, but with a tall dark hat on his head and a large cape around his neck. At one point in Kung Fu Panda 2, he was also seen with a Shaolin wrap around his arms and over his chest. The specific reason for this is currently unknown. Trivia General *In The Art of Kung Fu Panda, it is mentioned that Po's full name, Po Ping ( : 宝平; : 寶平; : bǎopíng), translates to "precious peace" in Chinese.Miller-Zarneke, Tracey. The Art of Kung Fu Panda, p. 24. : *According to the filmmakers' commentary on the Kung Fu Panda DVD, Po's favorite Furious Five member is Master Tigress, despite the fact that she showed considerable disrespect and disgust at him throughout most of the first film. *The chunk of wood that Po picks up as a souvenir of Tigress' 'awesomness' was deemed "the love chunk" by the Layout Department. *Po is noted to be 6' 2" tall and 260 pounds in weight.Kung Fu Panda Official Site - Po Although, when imitating Master Shifu in the original film, he jokes that he is 500 pounds in weight. *Po has a special "fighting fist" control that he only uses when he's engaging in Kung Fu.Kung Fu Panda Fun Facts by HP *One of the running gags seen throughout the ''Kung Fu Panda'' series is Po's tendency to accidentally fall down staircases — from the staircase in his own home, to the enormous staircase leading up to the Jade Palace. *According to a behind-the-scenes video of Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness, Po never went to school as a cub.ActorsReporter.com - Voiceover Session with James Hong and Peter Hastings *In an interview with Jack Black for Nick Magazine, Black answers that one of his weaknesses is that he's ticklish around the rib cage. Just like Black, Po is also ticklish around his rib cage, as seen in his fight with Tai Lung in the first film. *Discussing Po's new placement with the Furious Five in Kung Fu Panda 2, Jack Black has regarded Po as the "technical leader" of the quintet. However, because he is "still finding his way" through his insecurities and clumsiness, the group doesn't become the "Furious Six", but rather "The Furious Five and the Dragon Warrior" — with Master Tigress as the "real" leader, according to Black.[http://www.comingsoon.net/news/cinemaconnews.php?id=75719 ComingSoon.net - "CinemaCon: Kung Fu Panda 2 . . . Interviews"] In development *''The Art of Kung Fu Panda'' specifies that Po was once not a fan of Kung Fu, and was "rather hateable and stupid and dead-end". However, through changes, 's performance helped to define the character's personality.Miller-Zarneke, Tracey. The Art of Kung Fu Panda, p. 24. : *In development of the character, Po went through a variety of origins. Among these were living in a panda village with his mother, working in a chime factory, and being an indentured servant to Mr. Ping. *The weirdest animation control was for Po's uvula.Kung Fu Panda Fun Facts by HP *Po's cheeks were rebuilt during the first film to allow him to stuff his mouth with more food.Kung Fu Panda Fun Facts by HP In popular culture *Baseball player of the is nicknamed "Kung Fu Panda." *At one point in 's song "Sweet Dreams", the lyrics say, "I am the kung fu panda." *As a tribute to the star of the films, a newborn giant panda cub in — the only one born in the U.S. in 2010 — was named Po. was present for the naming of the newborn cub.DreamworksAnimation.com - "Zoo Atlanta and DreamWorks Animation Announce Panda Cub's New Name" *A spoof character of Po appeared in the 2008 parody film . In this version, he was known as "Kung Fu Panda" and was played by Yoshio Iizuka. *In the episode "The Agent of Change," used "Kung Fu Koala" as an example of movies with male leads. *Spoof versions of Po and Shifu appeared in the episode "Are You Karate Kidding Me?" as school bullies who picked on . It is currently unknown who voiced Po in this episode. *Po made short appearances at the 2011 on April 2nd, 2011, in which he interrupted the show three different times, which annoyed the host, his voice actor . This was done as a tribute to one of the show's sponsors, Kung Fu Panda 2. Gallery poart.jpg|"Golden Bear" - Early Po concept art by Christophe Lautrette Marletnico.gif|Concept illustration of Po by Nicolas Marlet GroupHoliday.PNG|Po, Master Shifu, the Furious Five, Mr. Ping, and Wo Hop in Kung Fu Panda Holiday Stairs.PNG|Master Po and the Furious Five captured in Kung Fu Panda 2 Po-older.png|Po in Legends of Awesomeness PoJackKFP2.jpg|Po and his voice actor, (View more...) 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